Parliament has waded into the recurring issue of disagreements between Fulani herdsmen and residents of Asante Akyim Agogo in the Ashanti Region, by requesting for an audio tape on which the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, allegedly threatened to arrest the MP for the area, for inciting violent attacks against the Fulanis.
The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, made the request on Wednesday when the matter came up for discussion.
The Ashanti Regional Police Chief, Nathan Kofi Boakye, allegedly called the NPP MP, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, via phone last Thursday, and threatened to arrest him for inciting violent acts against the Fulanis.
[contextly_sidebar id=”pS22JpN65atgVm1Odc6TwJv6IjcflMw0″]This was after the MP joined the residents to embark on a demonstration. He is also accused of inciting the angry youth attack the Fulanis, leaving one of them dead.
DCOP Boakye is also believed to have declared the MP a wanted man, with some reports suggesting that Mr. Baah Agyemang had gone into hiding.
The Minority in Parliament subsequently petitioned the Speaker to haul the Ashanti Regional Police Commander before Parliament’s Privileges Committee for his actions.
According to the MPs, the police commander acted against the laws of Ghana which says that an MP can only be arrested by going through laid down parliamentary procedure.
Parliament is expected to take a decision on Kofi Boakye after legislators come to a consensus on the appropriate sanctions to be taken against him.
The Asante Akyim North Constituency MP has since denied claims that he incited the youth in his constituency to violently attack Fulani herdsmen in his area.
The MP reportedly made comments thought to have provoked some youth in his constituency to brutalize at least two Fulani herdsmen in the last few days with one of them losing his life due to the attack.
Latest reports from the area says two locals have been shot dead following renewed clashes between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers. The deceased persons yet to be identified are believed to have been shot at close range, by the Fulani herdsmen.
The latest incident follows the murder of at Agogo. Following the latest incident, the Ashanti Regional Security Council, has deployed military personnel to the area to quell further upheavals.
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AfanyiDadzie